USL Feature

Thursday, September 17, 2015

A week and a half has passed since Tulsa Roughnecks FC capped off its regular season with a needed 2-1 victory against OKC Energy FC on Sept. 6. The win placed Tulsa in a playoff position, but just barely.

“We put ourselves in a position to go through, and the locker room was great after the game,” Roughnecks midfielder Brady Ballew said. “We’re a tight-knit group. When we looked at the big picture, we tried not to be too high or too low on the moment and thought that business will take care of itself.”

Tulsa was naturally cautious to celebrate because the 11-11-6 record and 39 points put the club just ahead of Seattle Sounders FC 2, who also had 39 points. With wins in both of the meetings between the clubs this season, the Roughnecks sat in sixth thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker.

“It was a great game – a must-win game,” midfielder Steven Miller said of the regular-season finale. “It was our last game in front of our fans and a rivalry game, so that helped a lot in our advantage. We controlled what we could control.”

Since that match, the Roughnecks have been in wait-and-see mode with the hope that everyone below them would not pick up the necessary points to rise above and officially end their season.

The day before Tulsa’s victory against OKC, the odds of advancing to the postseason did not look good either, particularly with Seattle ahead of the Roughnecks at the time. But S2 left the door open, losing 2-1 to the Austin Aztex on Sept. 5 and then falling to Orange County Blues FC 1-0 this past Friday.

All eyes are on Thursday’s S2 match against Austin at Starfire Stadium. Another S2 defeat and Tulsa advances to the playoffs. If Seattle draws or wins, the season is officially over.

“It’s been pretty tough,” Miller said of the waiting game. “Obviously the schedule was not the most favorable ending two weeks before everyone else, but we’re healing up in some places. We had a ton of games in a short time and a lot of travel. So we were able to take a step back and evaluate where we are. We are refocused. Obviously if we make the playoffs, anything can happen. Mentally, it’s been refreshing getting away for a little bit and then turning it back on.”

“We’ve kept training, and our coach gave us a few days off after we played I believe eight games in 30 days,” Ballew said. “We needed to get our legs back under us. But we are training again and closely watching every scenario. We’ll be watching Thursday.”

The Roughnecks organization certainly feels it is a worthy opponent if it were to advance to the USL Playoffs. The team’s regular-season play from July to mid-August speaks volumes, posting an impressive 10-game stretch (6-1-3) that included a pair of wins against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and a victory against Orange County Blues FC, who are both in contention for a bye to the conference semifinals.

“We put together quite a little run in July where we felt that we were a postseason type of team,” Ballew said. “So it’s no surprise that we are in this position. Obviously we wish our fate was more certain. We’re crossing our fingers.”

Thus is the life of playing in the competitive Western Conference. This season has consisted of a flurry of teams enjoying the conference lead.

“It feels like the Wild West – there is always someone going for you,” Ballew said. “It’s been fun. I love how the teams at the top are changing so much, and that you’re getting so much from both the teams at the top and the bottom, so it’s really meaningful. You’re always playing for something, and ultimately that’s what you want to play for. The stakes have been high.”

“Anybody can beat anybody. It’s been crazy,” Miller said. “The top team seems to change almost every week, and that won’t be good for the sixth-place team that is looking to get into the playoffs. The competition has been great, battling for a spot. It’s been fun going into every game and not knowing what’s going to happen.”

The Roughnecks will spend Thursday night at a watch party near the stadium with supporters, and for one final moment, the organization is hoping the cards fall in their favor.

“Everybody will be there, and we know that Austin needs a win and they’re playing with nothing to lose,” Miller said. “It should be a good atmosphere and a good time because this will be our last time to spend with the supporters as a whole group, regardless of what happens. That said – go Austin!”